About Me

After months of living with frustrating toilets, I could tell that it was time to have the professionals take a peek at them. We started going through every room in our house and identifying different plumbing problems, and before I knew it, things were starting to really develop into a serious problem. Fortunately, the plumbers I had hired understood how to correct the issues quickly, and they made short work of a difficult job. I wanted to begin a blog all about working with a great plumbing team, since your plumbers might become like an important part of your family.

Hot water is important to almost every home. It is used to shower, wash dishes, wash clothing, and to wash hands, just to name a few things. When the tap is turned on, and no hot water comes out, figuring out why is the first step. Deciding what to do about it is the next.

What To Check When the Hot Water Stops Flowing

If the hot water stops working in your home, there are a few things you can check before you call a plumbing company to fix it. First, you should check the breaker panel for a tripped breaker. Hot water tanks typically have there own 220-volt line in the panel. If it is tripped, reset it and see if it trips again.If it does, you might have a bad heating element. If it is not tripped, go to the water heater and look for visual signs of failure. One sure sign is water under or around the tank. Water around the tank points to a leaking line or a ruptured tank. Either way, it should not be wet around it. If you have water on the floor, it is time to call for service.

Replacing A Heating Element

While some people opt to repair the heating element on their hot water tank themselves, it is not something you should attempt unless you have experience with plumbing and electrical work. The heat element or elements (some tanks have two) is located on the side of the tank and is threaded in through the sideway with the heater going into the water inside. When the water temperature gets low, the heating elements are turned on by the thermostat and the water is then heated to a specific temperature. If their heating element goes bad, it may simply stop working, or it may short out and trip the circuit breaker. Either way, the best way to know is to test the heater with a meter. If the heater is determined to be faulty, it can be replaced and the tank put back in service.

Leaking Hot Water Tanks

If you see what under or around the hot water tank in your home, you need to call a plumber or repair service and have them come check the tank thoroughly. The tank should never leak water, so if it is, there is most likely a crack or failure in the tank that will require replacement of the tank. Once a tank starts leaking, it is not repairable. If the leak if from a plumbing joint on the tank, it is easily repaired, but you need to have a plumber check it out and determine where the water is coming from. If the tank itself is failing, replacing the tank with a new one is pretty simple and can typically be done in one to two days by a qualified plumber with the right tools for the job.